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The Minister of Economy and Energy Özdil Nami stated that Turkish Cypriots have equal rights to all blocks in the Eastern Mediterranean, where the Greek Cypriot Administration is currently conducting hydrocarbon exploration activities.

President Mustafa Akıncı has stated that, despite the Greek Cypriot side not being ready for a comprehensive settlement on the Cyprus questions, there is an urgent need for them to come to a compromise with Turkish Cypriots on the issue of natural gas.

By Ahmet Abdulaziz…….. On 15th February 2018, the winners of the 2017 TRNC RAPA Drift Championship and 2017 TRNC Carting were awarded with prizes in a ceremony held at Bedestan in Lefkoşa near the Selimiye Mosque.

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TRNC News Today 5th January 2016 – Bozkir arrives in TRNC today

TRNC News Today 5th January 2016

Bozkır arrives in TRNC today

Turkey’s EU Minister and Chief Negotiator Volkan Bozkır is arriving in TRNC today. Bozkır will start his official contacts on 6 January. First Bozkır will be received by President Mustafa Akıncı and then he will respectively meet with Speaker of the Assembly Sibel Siber, Prime Minister Ömer Kalyoncu, Foreign Minister Emine Çolak, Minister of Public Works, Environment and Culture, Kutlu Evren and Minister of Transport Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu. Volkan Bozkır will also attend a working dinner with Foreign Minister Emine Çolak.

Turkey’s EU Minister and Chief Negotiator Volkan Bozkır will give a conference entitled “Political Science and International Relations” at Girne American University in addition to his official contacts.

Akıncı will inform the TRNC Assembly

President Mustafa Akıncı will inform the TRNC Assembly in a special session next week regarding the Cyprus talks.

“Cyprus issue and the latest developments reached at the Cyprus negotiation process” will be evaluated in the Republican Assembly at an extraordinary session that will begin on Tuesday, January 12 at 10.00.

President Mustafa Akıncı met in September with the members of Parliament in the Republican Assembly and gave information about the latest developments reached in the negotiations process and had listened to the views of the parliamentarians.

Meanwhile, it is also expected that President Akıncı will attend the World Economic Forum in order to hold meetings with Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu regarding the Cyprus issue.

Statement by former negotiators

The former negotiators Osman Ertuğ and Ergün Olgun made a joint statement and they evaluated the statements made by President Mustafa Akıncı at the press meeting held on 29 December and also the Greek Cypriot side’s reaction regarding these statements.

It was stressed that Akıncı’s attitude and position put forth on the issues of political equality, bi-zonality, security and guarantees and Confidence Building Measures are enough to prepare the atmosphere for the reconciliation. It was also stressed that continuation of showing determination on these issues is essential.

In the statement, it was underlined that it is also essential to remove the uncertainty on the issue of property, to protect bi-zonality, to solve the issue of property through exchange and compensation, to make the necessary arrangements not to make a great number of people affected by that issue and not to corrupt the socio-economic structure composed within decades. It was also stressed that Akıncı’s insistence on the rotating presidency which is an essential element of the political equality is a right decision.

Kyprianou to go to İstanbul

AKEL General Secretary Andros Kyprianou said that Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu has invited him to Turkey through the Turkish Cypriot Negotiator Özdil Nami in order to discuss and exchange views about the Cyprus issue and noted that he was ready to respond to the invitation.

Greek Cypriot daily newspaper Alithia wrote that the exact date of Kyprianou’s visit to İstanbul will be clear in this month.

According to the news of Alithia, Kyprianou described the meeting as very important because it will provide opportunities to transfer the thesis and views of the Greek Cypriot National Council relating to the solution of the Cyprus problem to Turkey.

Former Greek Cypriot army officer jailed for cocaine possession

According to the Greek Cypriot newspaper Cyprus Mail, a 34-year-old former officer of the Greek Cypriot National Guard was jailed for 16 years on Monday by the Greek Cypriot criminal court for the possession of around 96 kilos of cocaine. The man was arrested in March last year when during a search of his car, two suitcases containing 96 kilos of cocaine were found.

The Greek Cypriot administration broadcaster CyBC reported that the drugs were the biggest ever quantity located and seized in South Cyprus.

The 34-year-old had pleaded guilty to charges of cocaine possession with the intent to supply and expressed his willingness to testify against the two other suspects, a 33- year old unemployed man from Larnaca and a 42-year-old businessman from Paralimni, who pleaded not guilty to their charges. The 34-year-old and the 33-year-old suspects were arrested following a tip off that a major quantity of drugs was to be moved from Limassol to Larnaca in South Cyprus.

Greek Cypriot Police had placed the ‘Enaerios’ parking lot in Limassol under close surveillance, where the two men were seen, the one entering and driving off in a van that was located in the parking place, and the other following him in a second car.

The two vehicles were cut off near the Mouttayiakka exit on the highway, and during a search, two suitcases filled with packages of various sizes containing cocaine were located. Subsequent investigations implicated the 42-year-old businessman to whom the two suspects planned to deliver the drugs for a fee.

The Greek Cypriot administration broadcaster CyBC said that the 34-year old has already been placed in a witness protection programme after he agreed to testify against the two other suspects.

(Cyprus Mail, 5 January)

Source: TRNC Public Information Office –

To read more news and information from the TRNC Ministry of Foreign Affairs, please click here

Pictures shown are courtesy of the TRNC Public Information Office Facebook page.